New Job and Holiday Dilemma- Any NHS Managers?

[NhsHolDilemma]

Name changed!

I have been offered a job in the NHS subject to me passing my degree/qualifying. I finish my final placement at the end of august and will then have to wait for my pin (I’m not sure how long this takes, I know it can vary!) During the interview which took place 3 weeks ago they asked if I had any holidays booked they needed to honour. I was very nervous in the interview, it was face to face with a panel of 4 and I’d gone to pieces so I said no, nothing at all, totally and utterly forgetting the holiday I have booked for a week in October. It is for my mum’s 50th birthday and has been booked since last year. It just totally and utterly slipped my mind. Anyway I thought that I wouldn’t go but now through guilt tripping ( my entire family
Are booked on so over 30 people) and the fact that I would lose the £500 deposit I want to go. Plus I didn’t have any contact details for anyone at the job as the department is newly
Formed so no phone lines yet plus they called me to offer me the job on a withheld number. Obviously I do not want to jeopardise my job opportunity at all, this role is my
Dream job and I am so excited to be starting and know that I am lucky to get a job in this department as a newly Qualified.
I have had some paperwork through from the recruitment office but I am absolutely terrified to ask about the holiday. I feel like I’ve royally messed up and that they’re going to think I’m a complete idiot for not mentioning it at the interview which is definitely not the impression I want to give. I feel really anxious about this simply because it’s so close to me qualifying but a family holiday with my everyone including my 85 year old grandad is something I’ve never done before and probably won’t be able to do again!

Is anyone a NHS manager and think emailing now would go against me?

Sorry if this is very rambling. I’m genuinely a calm, competent person in real life!

Oh and one option I thought about was delaying my start date till mid-October, I would have no income but my husband works so wouldn’t be too bad but I’m
Not sure they’d be willing to do that after waiting so long for me to qualify!

I think your overthinking it!
I'm assuming as your waiting for your pin that you may be a nurse?
Just ask at the recruitment appointment how you would go about it. Everyone is entitled to annual leave and they encourage you to take annual leave at even intervals across the year. I accepted a job offer and wasn't asked about holidays! I simply said... I'm getting married and I need to take some annual leave please!

Email the recruitment team telling them of your dates. Then when you start you just tell your line manager. Not NHS but I had 3 weeks of leave booked before starting my current job. I told them at the interview but then there was a lot of change between me starting, so I told my line manager again. Then told them again (because they forgot) when I got set up on the systems properly.

I feel like I am overthinking it but I’m very anxious recently. The holiday will be within 3 weeks after I start (I can’t start until 18th September due to childcare) and the holiday is the 5th October so it’s really really close to the start date. If it was later in the year I wouldn’t be fussed at all and would tell them as I started. I think I’m also afraid of looking stupid or dishonest for not mentioning it at the interview which I appreciate I may be totally overthinking once again!

I’d ask them if you can arrange to start after your holiday. That’s a reasonable request.

I'd say you can start but need the leave or offer to start after that way they can see what suits the business best

Just contact your line manager and ask. I manage staff in the NHS. If you tell them now they can discuss either changing your start date or cover arrangements. It wouldn’t be a big deal in my department. Just contact your line manager ASAP. I’m sure it will be fine and then you can stop worrying about it.

I think it will be fine. Email whoever the contact you have is if you don't have contact details for your line manager, apologise and ask whether it is best to start after the holiday or start on the previously arranged date and take annual leave for the holiday. I really don't think they will mind. Good luck with the rest of the course and your new job and enjoy your holiday.
P.S. I am also assuming that you are going to be a nurse as you mentioned getting a PIN. Almost every newly qualified nurse is overwhelmed and bewildered in the first few weeks/ months of their first job and thinks they have made a terrible mistake. Feel free to come back here in the autumn, there are lots of nurses here, we will reassure you that it will be ok!

If the date was half term week I can see it could be an issue. But 5th October is unlikely to be a date that many people want. Honestly, just ask. Put yourself out if your misery.

Congratulations on the job! I'm also a nurse, can't see it being an issue. Just speak to your contact in the recruitment department if you don't have contact details for your line manager yet.

Thank you everyone! I’m the biggest over thinker in the whole world.

Yeah I’m qualifying as a nurse and I am terrified 🙈. My training seems to have gone by so, so fast and suddenly qualifying is just on the horizon and I’m feeling so unprepared. I’m going get a grip and email them now.

Thanks again!